Apparatus for drying milk.



J; McINTYRE. APPARATUS FOR DRYING MILK. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 1905. RENEWED 00T.11, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912.

3 SHEET$SHEET 1.

N I INVENTORY Jafm iii/71x 1? BY J. MCINTYRE. APPARATUS FOR DRYING MILK. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, 1905. RENEWED 00T.11, 1911.

' Patented May 21, 1912.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVEN 70/? fifzn J! f 7219112 ATTORNEYS J. MGINTYRE. APPARATUS FOR DRYING MILK. APPLIUATION FILED OCT. 3 1,026,757.

0 1905. RENEWED 0OT.11, 1911.

Patented May 21, 1912'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

a 5 5 if i W/ T/VESSES.

e "a m T} U Mr A N will be more fully described hereinafter and Unrrn ra ts PA JOHN MCINTYBE, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW'J'ERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENT, T0 WATKIN M. GRIFFITH, 0F FREEPORT, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK.

' s eci ication of Letters Pa arranafrosron perm MILK.

Patented m e1, 1912.

Continuation o fapplicat ion Serial No. 162,032,'fi.1ed June 18, 1903. :Renewed May 10, 1904, Serial No.

Serial No. 654,165. v

To all whom it may concerns Be it known that I,:JonN-Mcl'1 'rrnn, a citizen of the United States'y'and a resident of Jersey City, in, the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and ,ln'iproved Apparatus for Drying Milk, of which the following is-a fulh'clea'r, and exact description;

The invention relates to the extraetion'of the aqueous portion of milk and other liquids and substances until dry solids are obtained. '1 The object of the invention to provide anew and improved apparatus'for drying milk and the-like, arranged to insure the productionbf separatesolid particles of the milk in a very economical manner and with out danger of spoiling the batch or injuring the product, by rendering the non-fatty solids insoluble, thus allowing reconstruction of the milk by dissolving the product in waterunder the application'foffheat, to obtain it'solution akin to natural normal m'ilkl' v The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same; as

then pointed out in the claims. I

' Apractlcal embodiment of the invention is represented 1n the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in

which similar oharaeters of reference indicate, correspondingparts in all the views.

l igurel is a plan view of: the improvement Fig. is a sectional side elevation. of the same, on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional plan view of the vessel or tank and the milk heating coil, and Fig. 4'

is a sectional side elevation of a modified form of the nnprovement.

The vessel or tank A forcontainingthe milk to be treated is preferably of rectangular shape, open at the .top and provided with a semi-circifilar bottom A,- havingan air induct-ion port A, preferably extending throughout the lengthof the bottom andv preferably at the lowest portion thereof, the] said air induction -port serving for introducing heated air under pressure into the milk contained int-he vessel or tank A. In

the bottom portion of the vessel A is mounted to turn a-breaker, agitator orstirrer B,

having its-shaft B,-journaled in suitable This application filed October 30,;1905',

Serial No. 285,174; Renewedoctob'er 11, 1911.

hearings in the ends of the vessel A, and "tin theou'ter end of the shaft B" is secured a pulleykB connectedby 'a belt P) witha pulley B on the main shaft of an e'ngin'e'C or other motor, for impartinga rotary motion'to the'said agitator l3, to'agita'te the milk and the air passing into the milk, as above described. l

- The apparatus has been used fouycars, and it is found that by the air entering, the vessel in' an uninterrupted sheet at the bottom and having the wings of the stirrer close to the half-round bottom of the vessel, the air is so thoroughly and quickly mixed with the milk and both are broken up to insure a ready evaporation and without coagulation of the albumin. This actual practical use of the invention has demon stra-ted the importance of the slot-ted construction of the bottom of the vessel, as

well as such construction in connection with the stirrer arranged and operating as described, and the actual use of the machine has been carried on to such extent as to demonstrate thatthe desired results cannot be secured byany constructionof thebot; tom difi'ering from that-of the slot-ted form shown and described, v

The agitator B is preferably provided with radial spokes or arms B sweeping with'their outer ends the surface oft-he sen'ii-circular bottom A, and the agitator l5 capable of an endwise bodily movement,

for the end spokes to alternately swcepthe inner surface :of the ends of the vessel, and the ends of the spokes to sweep the bottom of the vessel, and thereby preventadherence of the milk to the inner surface of the bottom portion of the tank or vessel A. I In order to keep the arms ot'1the agitator or stirrer B free from the milk as the latter thickens, scrapers or .iutercepters D are provided,preferably in the shape oi rods, extending transversely and secured in the sidewalls of the vessel A, the said rodslexr tending between adjacent roWs of spokes or arms 13, so that when the agitator B is rorated and moved lengthwise, the said arms Bisweep past the intercepters and are thus freed of'any milk that may adhere to the said arms: i 1

The endwise movement of the agitator may be accomplished periodically by the air chamber held in operator shifting the shaft B or by suitable mechanical means, but such, for instance, as a cam collar B 011 the shaft B, engaged by a fixed pin B or the like. Thus by thearrangement described,-the stirrer sweeps the whole bottom and end portions of the vessel, to preventdormaney of "the milk, and the stirrer arms are kept free from milk particles. The interceptor rods may be con nected with each other, to form a grate, to permit convenient removal-of the same for cleaning purposes.

The air induction port A connects with an air chamber E, bolted or otherwise secured to the under side of the vessel A, and into the said air chaniber I151 leads aicIl' sup )ly' pipe F, havin ranc pipes an F of which the bran h pipe F is provided with a valve or damper F and connects by a cross F with the discharge pipe G of a blower G or like device, for furnishing the compressed air needed in the roduetion of the desired result. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the blower G is directly driven from theengine C, but this may be differently arranged. The cross F is connected by a pipe H, having a valve H", with 'a heater H of any approved construction, from which leads the branch pipe F so that air forced by the blower G through the pipe G, cross F and pipe H into the heater H is heated in the latter and passed in this heated con dition through the pipes F and F into the E. An air inlet pipe I, having a valve or damper I, also connects with the cross F and through this-pipe I the air from the compressor may be discharged when the valves H and F are closed and the valve I is open. The valve F may be opened so that a portion of the air from the blower G passes through the pipe F, to mix with the heated air coming by the, branch pipe F fromvthe heater H, to reduce the temperature of the air passing into the air chamber E. Thus by theoperator manipulating the valves H and F heated air to the desired degree may be passed into the air chamber- E.

In order to heat the milk contained in the vessel A during a portion of the process, a heating coil J is provided and removably the vessel A, above the stirrer or agitator B, as illustrated in the drawings. The heating coil J consists essentially of two heads J and J connected with each other by circulating pipes J and the said heads J and J are adapted torest on lugs or other supports A fixed in the vessel A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The head J is provided with alengthwise partition J (see Fig. 3), to divide the said head into an inlet chamber J 5 and an outlet chamber J", and the said chambers are normally closed by self-closing valves K and K, having their stems mounted to slide in guideways J,

formed in the hea J,

the stems being pressed on by springs K so as to hold the valves normally to their seats K and K formed in the outer wall of the head J. The valves K and K- are adapted to be opened after the coil J is'placed in position in the vessel A by the use of plungers or screw rods L and L, under the control of the operator and extending lengthwise through valves 0 and O, cont-rolling valve seats N 2 andN in steam inlet chambers N and N respectively, of which the steam inlet chamber, N is connected with the exhaust steam pipe C of the engine 0, but the said chamber N may be connected wit-h another source of steamsupply. The chambers N and N are bolted or otherwise secured to the end of the vessel A and the' valves 0 and O are in alinement with the valves K and K, as plainly shown in Fig. 3-. 8 The chambers N and N are provided with inwardly extending annular flanges 1 and N fitting into annular grooves J and J", formed on the outside of the head J, the said flanges- N, N -and their grooves J, J being concentric with the valve seats K and K and theirvalves K and K. In order to insure a firm connection between the flanges N and N and their grooves J J a screw rod P is provided, screwing in a nut P, held in the other end of the'vessel A, as plainly shown in Fig. 3,-and this screw rod Pscrews against the head J so as to allow of pushing the entire coil J rearwardly, to engage-the grooves J J the annular flanges N, N. Now when the several parts are in this position (see Fig. 3), and the plungers L and L are screwed inward by the operator turning the handles L and L of the said plungers, then the valves Kand-K are moved of]? their seats K and K*, against the tension of their springs K The valve stems O 0 of the valves-O and O are mounted to-screw in the-threadedheads N", N of the chambers 1 N and N, and on the outer ends of the said stems O, O are arranged handles-O, 0 adapted to be taken hold of by the operator, to turn thevalves O and lO, so as to move the same off or onto their seats. 1 Now when it is .desired to allow the steam to circulate through the coil J. then the valves K and K are first opened, as above described, after the coll J is in proper position, as shown in Fig. 3, and then the 12o valves O'and O are opened, so that the steam now passes through .the'pipe G intothe chamber N, and from the latter through the open valve seat N and the annular flange Nand valveseat K", into the chamber J, from which the steam circulates by its pipes J into the head 'J, and fromv the latterback by its pipes J opening into the chamber J. The steain can now escape from the latter chamber by way of the open 1 this takes place the operator closes the valve C in the exhaust pipe C, to shut oif the steam from the chamber N, and then the operator closes the valves and O and retracts the plungers L and L, to allow the springs K to move the valves K and K onto their seats K and K, to close the. chambers J and J Vhen this has been done the operator retracts the screw rod 1, to allow shifting the coil J forwardly, to

' disengage the annular flanges N N? from the grooves J J In order to lower the coil J into the vessel A or to lift it out of the same. the said coil is attached at or near its middle with a cable Q, forming part of a hoisting device of any improvedconstruction, to allow of lowering the coil J into position on the sup ports A for connecting theeoil with the steam supply, as above described, and to allow of hoisting the coil J out of the vessel A after the coil is disconnected from the steam supply. Now during the operation described, the milk in the vessel is not liable to pass into the coil or out of the vessel by way of the steam inlet and at the valves 0 and O.

The exhaust steam. pipe C of the engine C is provided with a branch pipe C having a valve G which is normally closed, but is opened before the valve C is closed, as above explained, to allow the exhaust steam to pass through the branch pipe C to the outer air.

In order to keep the induction port A free from any particles of the milk liable to clog the said induction port, a wiper or valve R is provided, extending the length of the port and loosely mounted on the crank arm R of the rock shaft R extending lengthwise in the chamber In 1d passing through stufiing boxes in the heads of the chamber to the outside thereof, and on one outer end of this rock shaft R is'secured a handle R under the control of the operator, to permit the latter to impart a rocking motion to the shaft R", to move the wiper R up or down in the induction port A to clean the same of any solid matter that may pass into the port or adhere to the walls thereof. Furthermore, the wiper R may serve as a valve to partially close the port whenever it is desired to increase the air pressure. The wiper K may also be used to completely close the port, to retain the milk product within the vessel A, in case the air is shut off from the chamber E.

A strainer. S is placed in the air sup v pipe F, to prevent any impurities from being carried along by the air into the air chamber E and the milk contained inthe vessel A. i v

In order to allow convenient removal of the finished product from the vessel A, the air chamber E is provided with an air-tight door T which, when .opened after the air blast is shut off and the stirrer B ceases its rotation, allow the finished product to drop through the induction port A into the air chamber E, and throughthe open door T into a receiving receptacle.

The operation is as follows: The milk is poured into the vessel A while the air blast is turned on and the stirrer B is rotating and the coil J is in position in the vessel, and, by the action of the agitator or breaker B, the milk and the entering air are agitated, to insure a very intimate intercommingling of the heated air and the milk, which latter at the same time is heated by the coil J immersed in the milk. The air is passed into the milk at about a tempera ture of 216 F., and this is maintained during about three-fifths of the whole time required for obtaining the product, and during this first period of the process the milk i is concentrated to a thick milk consistency, and notwithstanding the high temperature of the introduced air, solubility of the solids of the milk, such as the casein or other albuminous matter, is not practically lessened. During the next period, the heating medium (coil) is bodily removed, and the milk is now reduced to a doughy consistency, and the air is introduced during this period at a temperature of about 190 F., and the period lasts about one-fifth of the whole time of theprocess. From this doughy state of the milk, until the latter crumbles, the tcmperature'of the heated air kept at 190 and the state of crumbling is reached in about one-tenth of the time of the whole process, and from this stage until the finished product is obtained, the heated air is passed into the milk at 170 F., and this last stage of the process takes i about one-tenth, of the time of the whole process. At the end of the last period of the process, the heated air is shut oil and the stirrer is'stopped, to allow of removing the product'from the vessel, as previously explained, the product being now in condition for the market.

It will beseen that in my process, the milk, is wholly superimposed to the entering heated air and that, therefore, the heat ed air enters the milk during the whole process at the most effective point. And, besides, it is entered over the whole length of the milk and immediately broken and thoroughly diffused in the whole body of the milk by the smasher, and the evaporation isexpedited thereby-and the soluhflitv of the product improved. By entering the air at the bottom I avoid the baking and consequent injury of the product that occurs on pipes that convey heated air to the product downwardly inside of the tank, or that contact with the product at all; besides, air so entered is localized and less effective in preventing fermentation .and less economic in drying than by my practice of nmnediate mechanical subdivision and diffusion of the whole volume of the heater of the product due to wrong formation of tank.

In one tank (see Fig. 4?) may be a series of circular bottoms and breakers with the additional useful features described and the spokes of each breaker may operate between the spokes of its neighbor and so dislodge from each any possible dormant portions of the product thereon; besides, the scraping, breaking and grinding effect of the radial spokes of the breakers passing each other, first outhe semi-solid, second on the doughy and last on the crumbly, almost dry, product will further prevent dormancy and consequent souring of the product. and cause a finer subdivision and more rapid drying and finish. But my simple illustration of the concentrating tank with one circular bottom, one breaker, intercepters and one air port explains my process clearly.

In the application of heat and air. in reducing milk by evaporation to a dry'solid. I find that continuous rapid mechanical stirring and smashing of the whole body of the milk bythe mechanical stirrer presents :1 Ivory large surface to the vapor absorbing air, as it is introduced to the milk in my apparatus,'to actupon, and this in agreater degree when the milk does thicken and rapid drying most required: and when the milk has reached a doughy density, which condition maintains but a fraction of tliewh ole' time required for the process, the niedli anical smasher rapidly subdivides it, incessantly exposing new surfaces to the heated vapor absorbing air, that in my process strikes the product in its lowermost portion over thewhole length of the tank, until it is crmnbly dry, then smashed to granules and powder and stirred and dried by heated air entering the product over its whole length at the most effective point, till dry, fit for grinding; thus continuously, Without cessation, producing at every stage of the process new and finely subdivided surfaces of the product for the-efiiciently diffused heated vapor absorbing air to act upon, and, practically, preventing dormancy and fermentation of the whole product, and

thereby producing a' product that, 'recon this application, but forms the subject-mat ter of separate applications.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An apparatus for drying milk, comprising a vessel for containing the milk and h ving an'open top and a bottom semi=circular in cross section, the said bottom being provided with an air induction slot extending throughout the length of the bottom, an agitator in the bottom portion of the vessel sweeping the surface of the bottom portion, and an-air supply connected with the said slot, for forcing a blast of compressed air through the slotinto the milk, as set forth.

2. An apparatus for drying milk. comprising a vessel for containing the milk and having an open top and a bottom semi-circular in cross section, the said bottom being provided with an'air induction slot extending throughout the length of the bottom, an

agitator in the bottom portion of the vessel, an air supplyconnected with the said slot, for forcing a blast of compressed air through the slot into the milk, and a removable and replaceable heating coil wholly immersed in the milk above the said agitator, as set forth.

- 3. An apparatus for drying milk. comprising a vessel for containing the milk and having an open top and a bottom semi-circular in cross section, the said bottom being provided with an air induction slot extendmg throughout the length of the bottom, an

agitator in the bottom portion of the vessel, an air supply connected with the said slot, for forcing a blast of compressed air through the slot into the milk, a heating coil removable and'replaceable while wholly immersed in the milk, above the said agitator, and means for preventing the. milk from entering the coil on removing or replacing it, as set forth.

4. An apparatus for drying milk, comprising a vessel, for containing the milk and having an open top and a bottom semi-circular in cross section, the said bottom being provided with an air induction slot'extend ing throughout the length of the bottom, an

slot, as set forth as set forth.

5. An apparatus for drying milk, comprising a vesselfor containing the milk and having an open top and a bottom semi-circular in cross section, the said bottom being provided with an air induction slot extending throughout the length of the bottom, an agitator in the bottom portion of the vessel, an air supply connected with the said slot, for forcing a blast of compressed air throughthe slot into the milk, andv a manually controlled wiper for clearing the said slot, the said wiper being located within the air supply and having operating means extending to the outside of the said air supply,

(3. An apparatus for drying milk, provided. with a vessel for containing milk, open at the top, a coil-completely immersed in the milk and held in the said vessel, means for connecting the said coil with a heating medium supply, and means for closing the coil, to prevent the milk from enteringthe coil when disconnected from the said supply while submerged and while being lifted out of the vessel, as set forth. I

7. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with a vessel for containing milk,

'open'at the top, a'coil removably held in the said vessel, completely submerged in the milk, the said coil comprising spaced heads, pipes connecting the heads with each other for circulating the heating medium through the coil, means on the vessel for connecting one of the heads with a heating medium supply, and self-closing valves on the coil,

for automatically closing the latter to prevent the milk from entering the coil when disconnected from the said supply and while being lifted out of the vessel, as set forth.

8. An apparatus for drying milk provided with a vessel, and a heating coil removably hold in the said vessel and comprising heads, of which one is provided with an inletchamber and an outletrchambcr, pipes connecting the heads with each other for circulating the heating medium through the coil, self-closing inlet and outlet valyes in the said chambers, admission and exhaust valves on the said vessel and in alinement with the saidchamber valves, and manually controlled means for opening the said chamber valves, to allow of establishing communication between the admission and exhaust valves and the said chambers, as set forth.

9. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with a vessel, and a heating coil re movably held in the said vessel and comprising heads, of which one is provided with an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, pipes connecting the heads with each other for circulating the heating medium through the coil, self-closing inlet and outlet valves in the said'chambers, admission and exhaust valves on the said vessel, in alinement with the said chamber valves, and manually controlled means for openin the said chamber valves, to allow of. establishingcommunication between the admission and exhaust valves and thesaid chambers, the said means consisting of plungers movable lengthwise in the said admission and exhaust valves, as

set forth.

. 10. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with a vessel for containing the milk, open at the. top, the bottom of the vessel being semi-circular in cross section and prolength of the said bottom, for the entrance .of air, an agitator in the bottom portion of the vessel, sweeping the surface of the bottom portion, a heating coil 1n the upper pervided with a slot extending throughout the 1 tion of the vessel, above the said agitator and wholly submerged in the milk, means for connecting the said coil with a heating medium supply, and means for closing the coil, to prevent the milk from entering the coil while being lifted out of the vessel, as set forth.

11. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with a vessel for containing the milk, open at the top, the bottom of the vessel being semi-circular in cross section and provided with a slot extending throughout the length of the bottom, an air chamber on the outside of the said bottom, to which the milk and its product are directly exposed and superimposed by way of the said slot,

and means for producing an air blast and provided with a slot extending throughout the length of the bottom, an air chamber on't-he outside of the said bottom. to which the milk and its product are directly exposed and superimposed by way of the said slot, means for producing an air blast connected with the said chamber, a wiper for the said slot, and manually controlled means for actuating the said wiper from the outside of the said air chamber, as set forth.

13. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with a vessel for containing the milk, open at the top, the bottom of the vessel being semi-circular in cross section and provided with a slot extending throughout the length of the bottom, an air-chamber on the outside of the said bottom, to which the milk and, its product are directly exposed and superimposed by way of the said slot, means for producing an air blast connected with the said chamber, a wiper for the said slot, manually controlled means for actuating the said wiper from the outside of the said air chamber, an agitator in the bottom portion of the said vessel, provided with radial arms,

' and means for imparting a vibrating motion tothe agitator in the direction of its axis, as set forth.

14:. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with a vessel for containing the milk,

open at the top, the'bottom of'the vessel be-- ing semi-circular in cross sect-ion and provided with a slot extending'throughout the length of the bottom,'an air chamber on the outside of the said bottom, to which the milk and its product are directly exposed and superimposed by way of the said slot,

- means for producing an air blast connected with the said chamber, a wiper for the said slot, manually controlled means'for actuating the said wiper from the outside of the said air chamber, an agitator in the bottom portion of the said vessel, provided with radial arms, means for imparting a vibrating motion to the agitator in the direction of its axis, and scraper rods fixed in the vessel, between the radial arms of the said agitator, as set forth.

15. An apparatus'for drying milk, provided with a vessel for containing the milk,

open at the top, the vessel having a bottom length of the said bottom for the entrance of an air blast, means for producing the air blast, an agitator in the bottom portion-of the vessel, sweeping the surface of the bottom portion, -the agitator having radial arms, and fixed scraper rods in thesaid vessel, between the radial arms of the-agitator,

as set forth.

17. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with an open vessel having an air induction slot extending throughout the length of the bottom of the said vessel for the entrance of an air blast, and means for producing the air blast.

18. An apparatus for drying milk provided with a-vessel having an air induction slot extending throughout the length of the bottom of the said vesselfor the entrance of an'air blast, an air chamberon the outside ofthe said bottom, to which the milk and its product are directly exposed and superimposedby way of the said slot, and means forproducing an air blast andcon nected with the said air chamber. v

19. An apparatus for drying milk, provided with an open vessel having an air 1n-' duction slot extending throughout the lengthof the bottom of the said vessel forthe entrance of an air blast, an agitator 1n the said 'vessel', and means for producing the air blast.

'20. An apparatus for drying milk provided with a vessel having an air induct-ion slot extending throughout the length of the bottom of the said vessel for the entrance of-an air blast-,anlair chamber on the outside of the said bottom, to which the milk and its product are directly exposed and superimposed by way of. the said slot, a

manually controlled'wiper for clearing the said slot, and means for producing an air blast and connected with the said air chamber.

21. An apparatus for drying milk provided with a vessel having an air inductionslot extending throughout the length of the bottom of 'the said vessel for the entrance of an air blast, an air chamber on the outside of the said bottom to which the milk andits productare directly exposed and super imposed by way of the said slot, a manually cont-rolled wiper for clearing the said slot, the wiper being-located within'the air sup ply and having operating means extending to the outside of the sai air chamber, and

means for producing an air blast and connected with the said air chamber.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribmg witnesses. Y

, JOHN MoINTYRE Witnesses Tnno. G. Hosrua, EvaaARn B. MARSHALL.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cum "on, by lldi'a'ulnz the Commis ioner 'of Patents walhlarton. D. 0.". 

